Fishing game



E. J. STROHM FISHING GAME Sept. 23, 1952 Filed July 26, 1948 /20 2' Laanmm TROUT "aabwmE F/ .9 FIG/0 INVENTOR: EDWARD J. STROHM ATT'Y ing and landing fish.

means to si Patented Sept. 23, 1952 game in which cards are used jasthe f u h, the

fish being provided with a projection or projections adapted to be engagedfby a hook in the form of a ring or of a double loop carried by a line at the end of va pole and operated substantially in the ordinary manner of catch- An important object of the invention is to provide a new and; improved fishingga rne .in which a great variety of set-ups and playing methods are possible using the same parts but elaxin th am n different iwa'ysla-further object of theinve'ntion is to prorid a n e atchi an i a dischar in l et .t ecqrf r n ct ns o realffishing.

- A further objeptjof the "invention is to provide new and improved hooking by means of a simple catch which may be applied to a card for en- .gagement by a special formedhookwhich is sub .stituted for the barbed hook ordinarily employe v v Still another object of the invention is to pro- ;vide. new, and improved means .for playing a fishing game which will give information about various kinds of fish showing their; appearances and distinguishing characteristics, and the different cards representin the fish containing information of obstacles, disappointments, pleasures, and possibilities of actually 'fishingfor various ty es f h- Other objects of the invention .will appear in the. specification and will be apparent from the accompanying drawing in which, 7 I

1 is a face View of one of a pack of cards as employed in connection with the game;

Fig. 2, is an elevational view of anshing pole iand tackle as employed in the game;

Fig. 3 shows a modified form of engaging Figii is a fragmentary perspective showing-a pronged fastener projecting from one. of :the fish cards;

[Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective viewiof a modified form of prong fastener;

FigsQEaa, 6;, '7; and 8 are consecutive views illustrating the methodof hookinga fish-inaccordancewith this invention;

Figs- 9, ,10 and 11 illustrate the rnethod of landingwa fishandidisposing it with the face of the, cardiuupright position; and

Figs/12, 13 and 14 illustrate different pat- 4 Claims. (CL

ame in different manners.

Inthe ordinary fishing game, it is customary to providean'open hole or a loop in connection that it loses its attractiveness'as a game; it does not simulate fishing or landing operations; and after -a brief trial, the interest and'at-tractionof thegameisgone;

The present invention overcomes theseobjections by' providing 'a novel {form of fastener in connection with the'fish which is not easily enfi m vl n ng ti ant wa an further v ta ed this garnets th ta is eii 'n' n in end d b are M ar e y o ways by any number of people'at the same time depending upon the number of fi shi ng outfits in connectionwith theset.

Referring nowrmore particularly to' the drawings, a set or pack of cardsis provided, as m any as fifty or more, each card l5 being substantially rectangular, containing a picture 1-6 or representation of a particular kind of fish suchas a trout with numerals l 8gthereon representing e approximate weight and a designation 2:0

below" the fish stating the species;j-k nd, siZeQor any; other desired distinguishing characteristics.

At one corner of'the card is an ordinal number 22 designating the particular card of a pack} or set, atone corner is a credit designation 2 4 and at another corner isa debit designation 26; these credit and debit designations preferably b e ing of ,colors blue and red ,respectivelyso that they are easily distinguished from each other.

At one end of each card is a perforation 25 through which a pronged fastener--26 is-inserted from the face Qrthe card 6 that the prongs as may be spread oppositely frornithe back or rear of the card. Insteadof thistypeof, fastener, a hollow rivet 30 as shown in Fig: 5 may be applied" to thecard at the location of the hole 25 having only'a single prong I.

The fishing tackle providedfor engaging the fasteners comprises a pole32prefera'b1y of flexi- -ble material such as wood; fiber, and the like :of-a continuousring; a doubleh'ook 4;} may be attached to the fish line having-opposite par- 3 tially closed loops 42 formed of a single piece of wire or similar material.

In playing this game, the cards are disposed face downward upon any suitable surface such as a floor. table, in a box top or any suitable supporting surface. The cards are spread apart but may be partially overlapping if desired so that at least some of the prongs are accessible, and all of the prongs of the separatecards may be madeaccessible, if' desired; "In "order to engage acard by means of the fishing tackle, the ring 36 may be partially inclined as shown in Fig. 5a so that as drawn over the projecting prongs, one of them will be engaged with the inside opening of the hook or ring as shown in Fig. 6, the ring being further engaged by dropping it flatly with respect to the card and then preferably moving the ring so that the inner edge partially engages both of the prongs, thereby hooking the fish more firmly so that it may beraised and withdrawn; from the, pool asshowninFig.8.

Another feature of the game may be in disengaging the hook or ring from the fish and discharging the card in a face-up position which is accomplished by first supporting the card by the edge opposite the fastening as shown in Fig. 9 and then disengaging the hook therefrom by lowering the line as represented in Fig. 10 allowing the card to drop flatly with the prongs at the under side as shown in Fig. 11.

If the double hook is used, the same fishing technique is employed as with the ring 35 except that either of the projections 42 may be moved to embrace the prongs ofthe fastener: i

"different game is produced which-is capable of many variations of play.. A few of these variations are represented as in Fig. 12 where a number of the cards are spread on the floor in a somewhat open pattern so that a fisherman represented by footprints 50 may walk among or between the cards or fish, catching the separatefish as rapidly as possible by the method described. The cards may be scattered in a single line as shown in Fig. 13 with the fishermen represented by footprints 52 at one side thereof for catching the difierent fish; or the fish may be disposed in the central pile Seas shown in Fig. 14 and the fishermen. may be seated or stand about the pileat spaced intervalsas indicated by the foot prints, 56 for catching fish from thepile 54. I

Many other variations or"layout1patterns may lie employed depending upon the number of players and the method, of play. One idea is to catch as many fish as possible in ,a certain time or to end the game when-one fisherman has caught a certain number of fish.

A credit and penalty system may be employed for scoring the game, each. card having thereon the Weight ofthe fish which may be either a debit or creditdepending; upon the designations "24 01126 which appears on each card. L r v Not all of the cards are necessarily for fish. Some of them may be for penalties, hazards or special designation in playing the different games. In a complete game for catching bass and brook trout principally, most of the cards .Will designate a trout or bass of a certain number of pounds credit and-the same number of pounds debit .or penalty if the, fish is engagedby the hook but is not. successfully landed; In other words, that fishgotawaylgQther cards are-tor 4 penalties only such, for example, as a submerged limb, weeds or moss, turtle, a sunfish, even for a sunken boot.

Some games may contain a card for a deputy game warden which would impose one penalty; a game warden card which might impose a more drastic penalty. Another one would be for a one pound trout only which must be thrown back and is therefore a penalty and even a loss of tackle cardfmight beincluded' where a large number are playing, this penalty eliminating that fisherman from the contest.

Various other provisions and conditions may -be imposed in the way of rules for playing the game in any particular manner and for scoring the. player as directed by the cards or in accordance with some other method of registering the debits and credits to each fisherman.

While preferred constructions, arrangements and methods of play have been described in some detail, they should be regarded as an example or illustration rather than a restriction or limitation, as various changes may be made, in the construction, combination and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

1. A fishing game, comprising a fiat card bearing arepresentation of a fish and having a fastener extending through the card atone" end and providing oppositely extending substantially fiat prongs raised slightly atflthe extremities from the card and a fishing'tackle comprising 'a pole and a line and a circular hook at-the end of the line adapted to be moved over and into engagement under both of the-prongs for raising the fish in the operation olf catching it, andthe hook being di'sengag'e'able from the prongs by supporting the fish upon the end opposite" the prongs in.- substantially upright position; and lowering the pole and lineto disengagethe hook from the prongs.

2. A fishing game; comprising a flat card bearing a representation of a fish and having a fastener at one end of the card with prongs-oppositely extending from one *face but raised slightly at the extremitiesfrom the card, a fish pole and a line depending'therefrom, a hook at the end of the line having an inner circular portion to engage belowthe prongs for raising the fish, and the book being disengageable from the jfish by supporting the fish by means of the hook,

ring for engaging the flatprongs to catch a fish by engaging under the prongs when the front face of the cardis disposeddownwardly upon its supporting surface, the credit mark designating a plus value in the game if the fish is landed successfully and the debit mark designating a minus value if the fish is not landed successfully.

4. A fishing game, comprising a flat card having a representation of a fish and having a fastener at one end of the card with prongs extending oppositely fromone side of the card and bent 5 in substantially flat condition but raised slightly at the extremities from the card, and a fishing tackle comprising a circular hook adapted to engage under the prongs for raising and Withdrawing the card.

EDWARD J. STROHM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Moad Nov. 30, 1915 Ordway Sept. 30, 1924 Foster July 27, 1926 Sullivan May 23, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Oct. 5, 1933 

